Miller’s Softcover Signature Book: They do not disappoint

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Featured Product: Miller’s Softcover Signature Book

Click Pro: Kellie Bieser, Shutter & Glass Photography

I have a confession to make.

I am addicted to printing photographs.

Maybe it’s because I have fond memories of sifting through boxes of weathered black-and-white pictures with my grandma as she told me stories of sneaking candy sticks from her father’s grocery store and her cross-country road trips with my grandpa.

Or maybe it’s because I love comparing my own childhood photos to those of my kids and seeing the similarities in our missing-tooth smiles and sun-bleached hair. Or perhaps it’s because there is some artistic validation in freeing my work from the computer screen and holding it in my hands and displaying it on my walls.

Whether on metal or canvas or fine art paper mounted on double-weight mat board and treated with a gorgeous brushstroke gel coating, I find true joy in printing my work.

And here is where I make another confession.

I don’t often print my photos in albums.

Once a year I will make a family book and I have an album from our wedding day, but that’s it. In my head (as silly as it may be) I’ve always felt those beautiful hardcover albums were a little too fancy for me and my pictures. They were the equivalent of the gilded encyclopedia version of a book when what I really wanted was the paperback copy that I could toss in my bag and take with me to the beach.

But at the same time, I like to think my pictures are telling a story. My client sessions often have a narrative woven through them and my personal work often goes through waves of phases and inspiration that lends itself to a book format. And as much as I liked the idea of having stacks of books on my coffee table filled with my work and offering storybooks of the sessions I shoot for my clients, I couldn’t find a product that matched the casual and accessible nature of my brand while still meeting my sky-high expectations of print quality.

Enter Miller’s Softcover Signature Book.

I actually squealed out loud when I saw Miller’s announce this product on social media. THIS was what I had been wanting!

I knew that they would nail the quality (they are unparalleled when it comes to matching the color on my computer screen and their papers are so gorgeous I want to kiss them… But I won’t because no one wants lipstick on their pictures!) and I loved the idea of a more casual cover on which I could actually print an image.Save

Now that I have a couple of these beauties in my hands, I can assure you that the fine folks at Miller’s do not disappoint. After I was done happily chattering to the poor delivery guy about how excited I was to see him because PHOTOS, I opened the box to find the prettiest little books you ever did see.

Miller’s offers both a matte press and pearl press paper option and both are just lovely. The paper is nice and thick and the book feels heavy in your hands in a way that speaks to the quality of the materials used.

Even better, you no longer have to print in multiples of five pages; if you have a 27-page book, you can print a 27-page book instead of scrambling to make an extra three pages! Hallelujah!

But my favorite part? LAY. FLAT. PAGES.

You can print an image across two pages and you don’t have to worry about losing the middle of the frame to that weird bump in the center of the book or having to bend pages to try and see as much as possible. This is a product made with photographers in mind and Miller’s knows that every last millimeter of our work deserves to be seen.

I am so in love with this product that I plan to use it in multiple ways.

First, I want to create portfolios for my commercial work with these books that I can take to meetings, showing potential clients my work in a way that is impressive while not being weighed down by heavy album covers or thick foam prints.

I am also immediately making Softcover Signature Books an option for my clients who want to see all of their images printed together but don’t have the wall space to display 75 photos. Not only does this meet the needs of my clients, but it fulfills my artistic vision in creating a visual narrative of each family that is in front of my camera and offering printing options that are fun and more laid-back (like me!).

Miller’s has once again created a product that makes me want to jump up and down with joy.

Because one day, I can envision myself or my clients sitting down with their grandkids, flipping through the pages of these books and telling them stories of that time… Just like my grandma would do with me — and the importance and joy of printing memories will be carried on for another generation.

All photos by Kellie Bieser

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